Because of bowling's popularity, bowlers are continually demonstrating interest in improving their game. In bowling, the position of the fingers placed in the bowling ball holes is important to the delivery of the ball. As is well-known in delivering a bowling ball, the ball is gripped by the thumb and one or two other fingers. As the bowler is preparing to deliver the ball down the alley, the ball is swung back in preparation for the final delivery. As the bowler proceeds to deliver the ball, the ball held in the bowler's grip is then swung forward. As the bowler's arm is at the end of this forward motion, the critical moment of release is reached. It is at the moment of delivery of the ball when the bowler has his or her last opportunity to release the ball, down the alley towards the pins, with the correct amount of direction, spin and velocity. The importance of the delivery, as explained above, is in the achievement of direction, spin and velocity.
Attempts to assist or aid the bowler in the delivery of the bowling ball have used various means to support or position the wrist or fingers. Many of these devices were designed to correct any tendency of the hand, wrist or fingers to deviate from an optimum position, where the delivery of the bowling ball would be expected to achieve the optimum result of a strike, or all the pins are knocked over by the first ball. Such previous devices were unable to achieve the effect of maximum control of the bowling ball at the point of release, through natural use of the bowler's finger inserted in the bowling ball hole, as is the invention disclosed in this application.
Such previous devices were unable to achieve the effect of maximum natural control of the bowling ball at the point of release, through the finger inserted in the bowling ball finger hole, as is the invention disclosed in this application.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,711, a wrist and finger support is shown. However, the support is along the dorsal or back surface of a finger which is placed along the surface of the bowling ball, and not used in connection with a bowler's finger used in the hole of the bowling ball. The device in U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,711 does not extend to the tip of the bowler's finger and cannot produce any effect through the finger tip when the ball is released.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,330 shows a bowler's finger support for the little finger, It is not designed or intended for a bowler's finger inserted into the hole of a bowling ball. It is intended to be used on the little finger pressed to the surface of the bowling ball and to force the bowling ball toward the index finger.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,163 shows a bowler's wrist and finger control device using a support for the dorsal surface of the bowler's forefinger, similar to the devise shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,711. It is used to support a finger placed on the surface of the ball and to make it easier for the bowler to extract the thumb from the ball and transfer the ball to the fingers inserted in the bowling ball holes. The device of this patent does not provide any aid in controlling the ball at the point of release, by a finger inserted into the bowling ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,709 shows a bowler's glove with a dorsal surface support for the index finger of the bowler. It is similar to the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,711 and has the same failings as described above for that Patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,076 shows a soft neoprene support for the bowler's fingers placed on the surface of the bowling ball. It is not designed or intended for use on a finger inserted into the hole of a bowling ball. The device shown in this U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,076 provides support on the dorsal surface of the bowler's finger as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,711 and has the same failings as described above for that U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,711.